Baseboard Calculator: Measure Once, Order Right.

Measure the total length of every wall — the perimeter — then subtract the width of any doorways or open archways. Add a 10% waste allowance for miscuts and corners, and that total is how much to order. The calculator above does this automatically for one or several rooms at once.

Add the length and width, then double it — a 12′ × 10′ room is 2 × (12 + 10) = 44 linear feet of wall. Subtract door openings, then add roughly 10% for waste to get your order quantity.

Material typically runs $0.50–$8 per linear foot depending on the type — MDF is cheapest, solid wood and polyurethane cost more — plus labor if you're hiring it out. Enter a price per linear foot in the calculator above to get a total material cost estimate.

Residential baseboard typically runs 3″ to 5¼″ tall. Commercial cove base is usually 4″ or 6″ — see the commercial cove base guide for the full breakdown.

Yes — a 10% allowance is standard to cover miscuts, coped inside corners, and mitered outside corners. Rooms with lots of corners or doorways can eat more than that, so round up rather than ordering the exact number.

Baseboard is rigid wood, MDF, PVC, or polyurethane trim that's nailed to the wall. Cove base is a thin, flexible vinyl or rubber strip that's glued directly to the wall at the floor line — no nails, no paint — and is standard in basements, laundry rooms, and commercial buildings. See the full material comparison.

Baseboard is the main trim board covering the wall-floor joint. Quarter round is a small, quarter-circle strip added at the bottom edge to cover the expansion gap left for hardwood or tile flooring. Many rooms use both; carpeted rooms usually skip quarter round entirely. Full breakdown in the baseboard vs. quarter round guide.

Prime and apply the first coat before installation, then install the baseboard, caulk the top seam, and apply a final touch-up coat afterward. This protects the bottom edge from flooring-installation damage while still covering nail holes and caulk lines with a clean final coat.

Baseboard is normally installed before carpet, resting about 3/8″–1/2″ above the subfloor so the carpet and pad tuck neatly underneath. Installing it directly on top of existing carpet is possible but leaves a visible gap if the carpet is ever replaced with a thinner flooring.

PVC or cellular vinyl is the safest choice anywhere moisture is a regular concern — see the bathroom and basement baseboard guides for room-specific recommendations.

MDF is cheaper, more consistent, and takes paint more smoothly — the standard for painted trim on a budget. Solid wood costs more and moves with humidity, but it's the only real option for a stained, natural wood-grain look. Full comparison: MDF vs. solid wood.